28

March

World-leading Imaging Centre of Excellence to be officially opened in Glasgow

The University of Glasgow will officially open its new £32 million Imaging Centre of Excellence (ICE), on Wednesday 29 March 2017.

The unique medical research facility, which was built in collaboration with NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde (NHSGGC) and with £16 million funding from the Medical Research Council and Glasgow City Region City Deal, will be opened by the Chief Executive Designate of UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), Professor Sir Mark Walport.

ICE brings together world-leading research, cutting edge technology and international business investment under one roof and will act as a hub for translating science into economic and patient benefit for Glasgow, Scotland and the UK.

The project will bring 396 new high-value jobs to the city over a seven year period and has been independently assessed to contribute £88m to the local economy.

With aims to become a global centre of excellence for precision medicine, the building is already home to Scotland’s first 7 Tesla MRI scanner – the first of its kind in the UK in a clinical setting. The scanner will be a focus of research for clinical and non-clinical academic imaging specialists and clinical physics expertise.

The state of the art building will also house the Clinical Innovation Zone, a space dedicated to biomedical companies, which will facilitate industry collaborations and the development of innovative healthcare technology. There will also be a further floor of neuro operating theatres, which will be funded by the NHS GGC.

The Clinical Innovation Zone has already attracted international small and medium-size enterprises (SMEs) from around the world, including Germany and Singapore.

ICE is one of three projects in the Glasgow City Region City Deal’s Innovation and Growth theme, alongside MediCity and The Tontine, Centre for Business Incubation and Development in the Merchant City.

Professor Dame Anna Dominiczak, Vice Principal and Head of the College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, said: “ICE will be a world-leading example of a precision medicine centre, bringing together the key partners of the University of Glasgow, the NHS and industry together to further clinical research and ultimately bring economic and patient benefits not only for Glasgow, but to the whole of Scotland.

“The ICE isn’t about ivory tower research, it is about bringing world-leading clinical academics together with industry to collaborate and to create something that not only positively benefits patients but also brings a meaningful economic benefit as well.”

ICE Key Features

Dedicated imaging floor home to Scotland’s first ultra-powerful 17.5 tonne, £10 million 7T MRI scanner, the first of its kind in a clinical setting in the UK.

A 22,000sq-foot Clinical Innovation Zone for industry partners and collaborators, including Siemens, purpose designed to facilitate innovation in healthcare..

A multi-disciplinary research space for clinical academics, medical physicists, engineers and neuroscientists.